The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-04
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Knights Of Labor Convention.
The Great Hall Crowded with FIJI
teen Thousand People.
Grand Master Workman POwderiy
Addresses the Vast Audience.
He Deili ca His Position In Regard
TO Foreign Immigration.
His Views on the temperance Qses-
sisn-He Is In Favor Of It,
bat Not u Crank ON
the Subject.

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Oct. 3,-Mas-
ter Workman T. V. Powderly, Gem
eral Secretary II. Licthman and most
OF the other delayed delegates to the
Knights OF Labor general assembly
arrived this afternoon. The great
hall, capable Of seating 1900 people,
was crowded at the time Of the open
ing OF the evening exercitei. On the
p'a,form we're the prominent leaders
Of the organisation. j. 7. McGouchey,
| secretary OF the cooperative board
and prominent Minneapolis knight
presided and made q brief opening
address. General Master Workman
Powderly's address on "The World as
Knighthood would Make It," was re-
ceiyed with unbounied enthusiasm.
Il was as follows:
"Mr, Chairman, you have just told
this immense audience that / would
tell them what the world would he,
did Knigtthood have the making oil
IL. will tell you nothing Of the kind
| cannot. will say but q few words.
My condition Ia not what ! would like
to have II to discuss so large a subject.
| came here tired out. i have been
busy for weeks. l Ipreier to be only q
spec .ator among you. The world 40
KniQhthood would make II would
take up more time than ! could give
| il here tonight. Thy will be done, thy
kingdom come. These are the words
spoken by all denominations in prave'.
DO you mean what you say Ia these
wOrds2
"Men cay the knights can never at
tain what Ia aimed ai In their declara-
tion of principles. Then they 20 to
church and pray for better things than
the knights ever dreamed oi. knight
hood would not pave the streets with
gold. The men who pray that this
earth be made Of the kingdom oil
heaven would deny rs q place In leg.
isla,ive halls. These places are not
the kingdom Of heaven. The men
who make these prayers lie when they
make them. They are hypocrits. The
Knight Of Labor respect the law, and
they intend 10 take hand In making
: the laws.
a "How many milllonsires arc there
a In this room toniphtf (Laugh,er.
v Not one. Well, how many ren and
I yumun OF moderate meansT 1 would
4 not ask you 10 stand mp, for that
would get you all on your feet. We
intend 20 educate our people so thai
they will be able TO 20 there. They
should be educated 30 that they Will
be able and Ht TO take high positions
In life. Our organization Ia not q par
tisan organization, but In the true
sense OF the word II Ia pollt-
ical organisation. The man who
studies with us will be able
TO vote in,elligently, II he is
no, there 10 something wrong
with his head. We are an organiEa-
tion. Nothing ever Ia still but aoorpse.
We have kickers. When one bad
mAu kicks there are thousand good
men aud women TO resent thnt kick.
cay oil hail 10 the kckers, i lave
been taken 10 task On lew thinga. L
want to cay a few things on immigra.
ton. II haa been charged that ] did
not favor immigration. IL is q mis-
take. am oi foreign birth myself. /
was not born early enough TO keep my
father from coming TO this country. /
would not have done 90 II | could.
have no objection 10 foreign
immigration. / favor II. Every
land grant company had its immigra'
lion agents. They bring In all man
per of foreigners. II one OF theee poor
creatures raises his hand not against
the law, for he knows none, but
against what ls sees Just bel 10 LIN,
he IL called an anarchist and 10 pun
Ifhed, while the men who loaded
these poor creatures on this country
20 free. trhunderous applause. l
hate anarchy, and hate anarchists.
How can the child reared In
! overly, tqualor, ignorance and vice
. grow np 10 respect tbs institutions oi
this country. When ! say stop the
agent OF the steamship company, take
home the agent OF the land company,
stop importing foreign paupers, let
: only those come 10 our free America
who come OF their own will 10 make
: their homes here, 10 that saving any.
: thing against q iorelgner2 lCriea Of
7 mol no. | thought you would cay
90. This is why / am called crank
! on the immigration question. | am
also called crank on the
! temperance quhstion. | may DO
crank on this question, but
am not ashamed 10 say that would
|. far rather zee man sober than q
dmnksrd. IL Ia better 10 educate our
, children TO be temperate than 10 be
8 drunkards. There 10 not q man liy-
ing who will say that Il Ia right 10
bring into the home thai which
damns the head OF the iamily. There
are those who threaten 10 leave the
order btcsuse OF my position on thin
' qreetioD. ! say to oil who would
4 withdraw for such cause
NO. viii rust the ia,s
; of thip nation with sober men and
I women. will never take back one
. word OF what l have said on the
temperance question, 90 help mo
. Godl The time will come when the
I workers Of al kinds and all casses
!. will bo banded together Tor a common
a purpose. Coming 10 this city /
a picked mp this morning paper, In
|. which | found q line: Tom Arm
! strong, the editor Of the National La
Dor Tribune, 10 desd. | saw the
stalwart man and all his great work
before me. | saw him saying 10 cor.
p9Tate wealth: Thus lar and no
a larlher. And now Tom Armstrong ia
dead. Let us hope the mantle that has
dropped from his shoulders will iall
. upon Others 40 s,alwiri for all good
/. ceuses. Nov, my iilends, | have
y done. I, would bo 4 pleasure 10 SPEAK
1 Vi greater length on our principles, 10
Q tell You more In detail OF the world as
!, knlghlhood would make H. But |
!. ! osly hope this, every knlght viii lesys
: this house tonight determined 10 do
bis whole duty.